Automobile headlight reflector



- Nov. 3,1925.

c. GENTLE UTOIOBILB HEADLIGHT RBFLBCTDR rnea March 20, 1924 Y Won.

v Charla Gmtlc mw A s. i

Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

' D STATES UNITE PATENT oF ica.

, CHARLES GENTLE, oEH MILToN, ONTARIO, CANADA, AssieNon oroNE-HALE ".ro

ALEXANDER DONALD, or HAMILTON, PROVINCE OF ONT RIO, CANADA.

TOMOBILE HEADLIGHT REFLECTOR.

Application filed March 20,1924. SerialNo; 700338.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES GENTLE, a subject of the King of Great Britain, and a resident of the city of Hamilton, in the county of VVentworth, in the Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automobile Headlight Reflectors, of which the following is the specification. i My invention relates to improvements in automobile headlight reflectors and the object of the invention is to devise a reflector [which will adequately illuminate the roadway without presenting any appreciable glare.

A furt-her object is to devise a reflector in which the dazzling efl'ectof the beam of light from the parabolic portion is reduced from a point immediately 'in front of the reflector by the projection of surrounding beams of diffused light thereonto.

A still further object isto devise a reflector which will give better illumination to the sides of the roadway and the ditches on each side thereof. I

My invention consists of a reflector con structed and arranged all" as hereinafter more particularly described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 represents afront elevation of a reflector constructed according to my inven-- tion. r

Fig. 2 is a section through the line 22 (Fig. 1).

- Fig. 3 is a section through the line 3-3 (Fig. l), and j Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic plan view illustrating the projection of the beam from the parabolic portion and the converging rays of light from the subsidiary reflecting portions.

Like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different views.

1 is a reflector of general parabolic form.

' 2 is the electric bulb, the filament of which is positioned at the focus of the parabolic portion. 3 are a plurality of curved nonparabolic reflecting portions or cavities depressed from the parabolic surface of the reflector, the sectional form of the opposed non-parabolic reflecting portions being on a compound curve which cuts the central portion of .the parabolic surface lying in advance of the same whereby a central parabolic surface 4 is constituted. The s d of r such portion 4. Thisis done byvarying' the the portions 3 arejcurved inwardly toward the parabolic curve'whereby a plurality of ribs 5 lying on such parabolic curve is constituted. r I v y i In the present embodiment of my inven tion the reflector is so formed that the ribs 5 are disposed at an angle of forty-fivedegrees to the vertical, although if so desired the ribs may be disposed horizontally and I vertically. This, is achieved by merely turn- 11 ing the reflector into the desiredposition- The seat of the'glare being the central parabolic surface portion; 4 the amount of glare can be varied-by varying the area of 7O curvature of the non-parabolic reflector p0r-' tions 3 so that the curve of theseportions intersects the parabolic curve further in advance or closer to the apex of the parabola. Obviouslvif the area of the portion 4 is increasedthere will be more concentrated light and more glare, and conversely, if such area is reduced therewill be less concentrated light and less glare. The proportions illustrated give adequate illumination of the roadway andcditches while presenting no appreciable glare to a pedestrian or a person in a vehicle approaching from the opposite direction. In fact at noangle or distance. in front of the reflector is the glare.,, sufficiently dazzling to temporarily blind a person looking directly into such 1"6fl6Ct-Ol"..

The projected rays ofthe beam from the Y parabolic portion 4 are, ofcourse, parallel while'the projected rays of the independent p0 beams from the portions 3 converge, such portions 3 being so formed that the beams converge on a point on the axis of the reflector immediatelv in front thereof. I find that about six inches'in front of the reflector 96 gives the best results.

stamping it out of a single sheet of metal. Thus the portions 3, the parabolic portion 4: and the ribs 5 are of integral construction. The cost of my reflector will, therefore, be no more than an ordinary parabolic reflector, and in fact when it is considered that a plain glass can be used in' front of it instead of an anti-glare lens the cost of the complete headlight will be less than the present headli t.

From the above description it will be apparent that I have devised a simpleand effective parabolic type of reflector in which the dazzling glare from the beam'of concentrated light from the para'bolic portion is decreased to such an extent that it is negligibl e due to the projection of the surround ing beams of diffused light thereonto. Moreover, I have devised a reflector in which the light therefrom will be evenly distributed across the width ofthe road.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a parabolic automobile headlight reflector,'in combination a central parabolic reflector to the outer edge ofthe parabolic portion, the inner edge of each rib being on a continuat on of the parabolic curve of the central parabol c portion.

3. a prabolic automobile headlight reflector, the combination with a parabolic reflecting portion and a single source of light located at the focus of the parabolic portion, a plurality of opposed subsidiary curved non-parabolic reflecting portions depressed in the parabolic p'orti'onso asto leave an uninterrupted central parabolic portion, the

central portion of the cross sectional curve or" the opposed non-parabolic portions intersecting the curve of the parabolic portion, the sides of the non-parabolic portions curved inwardly to the parabolic curve whereby ribs are constituted between the non-parabolic portions, the edge of each rib being on the parabola. i

4. In a light reflector, in combination a central parabolic reflecting portion, a plurality of nonparabolic reflecting sections formed in the Wall of the reflector and separating mediums for said sections extending radially from the central parabolicr'eflecting portion to the outer edge of'the reflector.

- 5. in a parabolic automobile headlight reflector, in combination a central parabolic reflecting portion, a plurality of pairs of opposed non-parabolic reflecting portions depressed in the wall of the reflector, said nonparabolic reflecting portions arranged around the parabolic portion, ribs separating the non-parabolic portions, the opposed separating ribs being, in the same plane; I

6.: In a parabolic automobile headlight reflector, in combination a central parabolic reflecting portion, a plurality ofpairs of opposed non-parabolic reflecting portions depressed in the wall "of the reflector, said nonparabolic reflecting portions arranged around the parabolic portions, ribs separating the non-parabolic portions, the opposed separating ribs being in the same plane, and the planes through the respective pairs of opposed ribs cutting each other at right angles.

CHARLES GENTLE. 

